Space Without Rockets and Paleo-aero launch

On the occasion of the 73d International Astronautical Congress, Makery.info magazine and Aerocene France proposed a private visit of the Hangar Y on September 22 from 12 pm to 3 pm for the launch at the Hangar Y (Meudon, France) of the Space Without Rockets publication (ed. R. La Frenais, E. Chardronnet, UV Editions, August 2022) and Paleo-aero, the call for a participatory timeline on the history of low-carbon aeronautics and aerospace by the Paleo-energy program of Atelier21 / Aerocene France. The event was a parallel program of the International Astronautical Congress and part of the Star’s Up festival.

The first airship hangar in the world, Hangar Y was built in the forest of Meudon from the metal porticos of the gallery annexed to the French engine room of the 1878 Universal Exhibition. In 1884 it hosted the world's first closed circuit airship flight. A key place in French aeronautical history, located on the edge of the Chalais basin designed by Le Nôtre in 1659, Hangar Y was home to the Air Museum from 1921 to 1977 before it was transferred to Le Bourget. Closed for many years, it will reopen its doors in March 2023 thanks to the efforts of Culture et Patrimoine and the Art Explora Foundation to become a place dedicated to culture, events and scientific heritage.

Space Without Rockets is a guide to the environmental impact of rockets and how to get to near outer space, in orbit or further into the cosmos without polluting the atmosphere and worsening the climate emergency on Earth. Written by scientists, engineers, artists, curators, and cultural specialists in space exploration, this book will change your mind about how we might steer our Spaceship Earth and travel to the Moon, planets, stars, and beyond in a sustainable way.

Paleo-aero is the name of our participatory research program on the stories of the forgotten pioneers of low-carbon aeronautics. This research takes the form of a website and a travelling exhibition in the form of a timeline. To inspire the aeronautics of tomorrow, we can draw on the collective intelligence of the public domain. A call for contributions was launched at the occasion of the event. Contact: hello@paleo-energetique.org